Ashby Castle Day Nursery

In August 2022, animal care and physical play shaped Ashby Castle Day Nursery's daily experience. Its current planning centres on children's individual interests. At its August 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and disabilities made good progress through planning tailored to their needs. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of every aspect of today's nursery day.

At 28 North Street in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, LE65 1HS, the nursery has capacity for 74 children aged 2 to 36 months. Its current approach combines play and language with communication, early number work and independence. Funded childcare and privately paid attendance are both offered, with funding stretched across the year.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play supports skills such as communication, early mathematics and managing tasks independently. Ashby Castle's curriculum adds an emphasis on language-rich play, creativity and thinking through problems. Planning responds to children's interests, so the starting point is the child rather than a fixed activity for everyone.

The August 2022 picture was physically active. Younger babies reached towards toys, while older babies practised moving over slopes and steps under supervision. Toddlers tackled hurdles whose heights staff adjusted to add challenge. These examples show how movement could be matched to different stages of development, rather than treating physical play as a single activity for the whole nursery.

In August 2022, making moon dough gave toddlers opportunities to mix, squeeze and shape materials. Water play introduced comparisons of quantity, and matching coloured objects brought early mathematical ideas into play. Conversations mattered too: babies exchanged sounds with adults using toy telephones, while songs encouraged younger children to participate through actions. The learning was embedded in things children could handle, hear and try.

Outdoor and Community Life

In August 2022, rabbits and tortoises provided opportunities to practise gentle handling and learn how to care for animals. Community outings included shopping, park play and café visits. These were practical encounters with life beyond the nursery, rather than abstract lessons about the outside world.

Dumbles Forest School forms part of the wider setting's offer, encouraging exploration and an appreciation of the environment. Its relevance to a particular child's attendance is a useful discussion point for a visit, especially for families choosing care for the youngest children.

Relationships and Communication

A key person system connects planning to each child's interests and needs. This gives families a clear relationship around which to organise conversations about development and support, rather than treating progress as a matter for whichever adult happens to be present.

Parent involvement also has formal opportunities: coffee mornings and parents' evenings take place during the year. These serve different purposes, bringing families together socially as well as creating time to discuss a child's experience. For children receiving additional support, regular reviews with parents are part of the support process itself.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The SEND arrangements are concrete. A SENCO coordinates support, works with families and outside professionals, and reviews plans. Before a child starts, discussions cover strengths, interests and support needs; reasonable adjustments and settling sessions can form part of the preparation. This makes the initial conversation about what the child needs in practice.

Support follows an assess, plan, do and review cycle. Parents help agree targets, the key person puts strategies into practice with SENCO support, and subsequent reviews determine the next steps. Depending on the child's needs, the nursery may use Targeted Support Plans, SEND Support Plans or Education, Health and Care Plans. Support is organised around actions and review points, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

The inclusion policy also recognises home languages and supports children learning English as an additional language. Activities can be adapted through different materials, extra time and accessible resources. For onward transitions, support may include meetings, visits and sharing plans with parental consent; these arrangements concern continuity of care and learning.

At the August 2022 inspection, Ofsted identified independence during meals and personal care as the area to improve, because adults sometimes stepped in before children could attempt tasks themselves. The practical issue was giving children time to try, including serving food and managing simple self-care. Families who value growing independence should make this a specific visit question.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Full-day attendance is offered, with funded charging calculations over two or three full days and additional days charged at the full rate. Those examples describe charging structures, rather than establishing a minimum booking commitment.

The nursery operates across the year, with holiday closures. For Christmas 2026, it closes at 6pm on 21 December and reopens at 7.30am on 4 January 2027. That break matters for families organising work cover: year-round attendance still needs a holiday plan.

The address is 28 North Street, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, LE65 1HS. General enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 01530 415541.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible families can access 15 hours funded childcare under the universal entitlement or 30 hours for eligible working families. The nursery stretches funding over 52 weeks: the respective weekly allocations are 11.4 and 22.8 hours. These are the year-round equivalents of the entitlements, rather than extra funded hours.

Funding covers education and care, with no top-up charge for funded hours. Families do not have to buy additional services to access funding. Privately paid additional hours remain a separate part of the invoice, so the funded allocation and the child's total attendance need to be considered together.

For families opting into the FLEXI PLAN PACKAGE, meals, consumables and enrichments are charged separately alongside additional childcare hours. These additional services are optional; they are separate from the free funded entitlement. Fees are spread evenly across the year to produce a consistent monthly payment, and invoices separate funding, paid attendance and applicable extras.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The fees page provides the route to its charging documents.

• Independence in practice. The August 2022 improvement point concerned adults doing tasks children could attempt themselves. During a visit, ask how children now practise serving food and managing personal care.
• Forest-school participation. Dumbles Forest School is part of the wider offer. Ask which experiences are included for your child's age and attendance pattern, rather than assuming the same provision applies to babies and older children.
• The funded attendance calculation. Funding is stretched, and the FLEXI PLAN PACKAGE separates meals, consumables and enrichments from childcare hours. A written quotation should distinguish your funded allocation, paid hours and chosen extras.
• Christmas cover. The closure from 21 December 2026 until 4 January 2027 creates a childcare break. Families needing continuous cover should include those dates in their planning.

Ashby Castle suits families seeking full-day attendance with either funded hours contributing to the booking or privately paid childcare. Its clearest strengths for decision-making are child-led planning, a structured SEND support process and a charging model that separates funding from extras. The August 2022 assessment provides a positive inspection baseline, while its independence improvement point gives families a precise question to pursue. For younger children, the most useful visit discussion is how those principles translate into their own daily care.